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28 September 2012

The Legends: Lata Mangeshkar

28.09.1929

If I found it
difficult to write about Kishore Kumar, how much more difficult is it to write
about Lata Mangeshkar? What can one say that has not been said before? She is
truly a legend, one who has straddled generations with seeming ease. The past seven
decades have seen her sing for countless heroines. Sadhana once said that
heroines felt they had ‘arrived’ when Lata Mangeshkar lend them her
voice. At her best, she was peerless.

It is not that there weren’t
good singers before her, or after. It is just that when she burst on the scene
and found her bearings, there was no one who could match the purity of her
voice or her control over pitch. Kambakth kabhi besuri nahin hoti is what
Bade Ghulam Alisaab had to say after listening to her sing Ye zindagi
usi ki hai. What is more, she made it seem effortless.

Perhaps being able to hold pitch at an impossible octave was also her weakness.
It certainly made music directors give her compositions that were pitched
higher and higher. She once complained to Shankar-Jaikishen that they were
making life difficult for her by only giving her songs in the higher
octaves.

It
is difficult, nay, well nigh impossible to choose her ‘ten best’ songs or even
my 'favourite' songs from her oeuvre. I have ‘favourites’ that run into hundreds.
I have no idea then how to categorise this selection – By heroine? By music
director? By mood? I do not know.

Out of the many, many songs that I
love, here, on her 83rd birthday, I have picked a few solos, in no
particular order, which will always be close to my heart. They display her
amazing range, and a gamut of emotions. (Lata Mangeshkar was known to ask about
the character’s age, her background, and the situation, before recording
the song.)

This is
definitely the Lata song, the number that catapulted her into the top
league. She was 20. From its haunting beginning – Khamosh hai zamana,
chhup-chhaap hai sitaarein - she had it under perfect control, each note ringing
true and pure. Exquisite!

Producers Ashok
Kumar and Savak Vacha, and music director Khemchand Prakash had a difference of
opinion about the song, but the latter stood firm, so sure was he of his
composition. Eventually, the veteran music director’s opinion prevailed, and
they recorded the song. Director Kamal Amrohi had a
vision of how to evoke the mood and atmosphere that he was looking for through
this song. In order to
create the effect of the song coming from far away, Lata stood in the corner of
the studio, far away from the mike. She began singing the alaap, walking
towards the mike as she did so, and then sang the refrain ‘aayega aanewala’ as
she reached the mike. They repeated this process many times to finally record
the song. It took them a whole day.

Even after the recording, producer Vacha remained unconvinced.
However, upon release, the song justified its
music director’s belief. Unfortunately, Khemchand Prakash passed away not knowing of its success. In
those days, the singer’s name was not credited on the music disc. Therefore,
when the song was released, it was credited to ‘Kamini’, the name of
Madhubala’s character in Mahal.

Lata & SalildaCourtesy: rediff.com

2.
O sajna barkha bahaar aayi Parakh (1960)Music: Salil ChoudharyLyrics: ShailendraThis is one song
that will rank among my all-time favourites. I love the cheery pitter-patter of
the rain, the sheer exuberance (albeit quiet) of love, the notes that trill and
ebb with such ease – the music, the lyrics, the singing, the picturisation where
a luminous Sadhana, in love with the village school master, is enjoying the
rains, its music echoing the beats of her heart – this is one song where they
all meld into that harmonious romantic whole. It never ceases to make me smile.

Salil
Choudhary’s compositions were not easy to sing. There were so many high
notes and low notes that the musicians were often flustered, but Lata
Mangeshkar enjoyed singing them. In this song, listen carefully to how the
notes rise and fall in the antara - Aisi rhim-jhim mein o sajan, pyaase pyaase
mere nayan tere hi khwaab mein kho gaye – and then rise to a crescendo with
Saanwli saloni ghata... Beautiful!

(Parakh has
another of my favourite numbers – the softly rendered Mere man ke diye, which was Lata's personal favourite. Salilda was a genius!)

In an interview,
Lata once said, "Over the course of my life I have worked with over a hundred
music directors. Of these, perhaps only ten understood both music and cinema.
And of these ten, Salilda was the foremost."

An exuberance of
a different kind. The kind that comes from being so happy that one is now in
love with tears – Ho chuka hain mujhko aansuon se pyaar – that one does not
want any more happiness – Mujhe tu khushi na de, nai zindagi na de... Waheeda lip-syncs
so beautifully to Lata’s voice that you really do not know who is acting and
who is singing.

The Hindi
version of Hemantda’s Bengali composition, O nodi re, he changed the
orchestration, using violins, cellos and the bamboo flute to great effect. Kohra,
inspired by Rebecca, had some wonderful songs; another favourite from the
same film is the haunting Jhoom jhoom dhalti raat.

Lata Mangeshkar
was a great fan of Hemant Kumar’s even before she had met him. The first song
she recorded for him (as composer) was for Vande Mataram.

This has been a
personal favourite even before I watched the film – the doomed love story of a
prince and a courtesan had me shedding enough tears, and Lata’s voice held such pathos as Anarkali (a very beautiful Bina Rai
on screen) bids farewell to her lover. What if they
could not meet in this life? Another awaits – Do dil yahaan na mil sake, Milenge
us jahaan mein, Khilenge hasraton ke phool, Jaake aasmaan mein.

Even now, when I watch its picturisation, I
mentally exhort Prince Salim to ride faster so he can get there before they
bury her alive. (I also wonder why the heck he couldn’t just break the wall
down when he reaches there, instead of just sitting and crying! But then, there
wouldn’t be a story, would there?)

C Ramchandra was
not the original composer of the film. In fact, composer Basant Prakash (composer Khemchand Prakash's younger brother) had
composed and recorded one song with Geeta Dutt. His untimely death brought in
C Ramchandra. He composed the entire score for the film, on condition that Lata
sing all the songs. Filmistan, the producers, agreed, but the Geeta Dutt song
Aa jaane wafaremained.

What very few
people know, is that part of Ye zindagi usi ki hai was composed by Roshan. C Ramchandra did not
feel that he was getting the right tune for the
verse 'Sunaayegi ye daastan shama mere mazaar ki, Khizaan mein bhi khili rahi ye
kali anaar ki, Ise mazaar mat kaho yeh mahal hai pyaar ka,' and asked Roshan, who
was there in Filmistan at the time, to give it a try. Roshan borrowed the
harmonium and composed the tune for that verse on the spot.

Another song
that has been a favourite for as long as I have been listening to Hindi songs.
Once again, the lyrics are full of pathos – she is in love with him, now
he is married to another. Her love is not selfish; she can only hide her tears
and wish him well. Congratulate him, even though, in
becoming dear to someone, he has gone far away from her... Mubarake tumhi
ke tum, kisi ke noor ho gaye, Kisi ke itne
paas ho,ke sabse door ho gaye...

It is a strange
story indeed, no one knows where it began, or where it will end (that is
strangely prescient), but she will never be able to forget him – Kisi ke pyaar
leke tum naya jahaan basaaoge Yeh shaam jab bhi aayegi tum humko yaad aaoge.

Lata’s voice is
soft, full of the pain of heartbreak, of seeing one’s hopes and dreams dashed
before they have time to bloom. Shankar-Jaikishen imbued the lyrics with just
the right dash of music, its lilting melody complementing Lata’s voice in
exquisite detail.

Another
melodious SJ composition, this song is heart-rending in its yearning.
Inexplicably jilted by her lover who has since vanished without a trace, she
cries out her longing and her heartbreak, her loneliness intensified by the
deepening night. When the wind rustles the leaves, it startles her. The
path on which he should have come is disappearing; he never came, but the
seasons came and went a hundred times. And now, as she weeps at night,
holding his memories close to her, the moon and stars weep for her.

Lata Mangeshkar
shared a close and often fractious friendship with Jaikishen; she fought with him often and sometimes,
fiercely, but they always made up. They met for the first time when Raj Kapoor
sent Jaikishen over to Lata Mangeshkar’s house to ask her to record some songs for Barsaat.
She had seen Prithviraj Kapoor in Kolhapur, and had met Raj Kapoor just a few
days previously. When Jaikishen came, Lata told her sister Meena, “Raj Kapoor
had sent someone over; perhaps it was his office boy. He was so handsome- maybe
the people who work for the Kapoors are as good-looking as the Kapoors.”
Imagine her embarrassment when she went to RK’s office and was introduced to
the ‘office boy’!

Lata & Madan MohanCourtesy: rediff.com

7. Lag jaa galeWoh Kaun Thi (1964)Music: Madan MohanLyrics: Raja Mehdi Ali KhanNaina barseis
the more popular song from this film, but Lag jaa gale is achingly, hauntingly
sweet, an effect heightened by the allure of Lata’s voice. It is ethereal,
enticing, dare I say, seductive? There is also the sense of something
ephemeral, here today – a wish to snatch some moments of happiness from the
fates. What if tomorrow never comes?

Lata first met Madan Mohan when he recorded a duet with
her for the film Shaheed under Ghulam Haider’s baton. But the song was never
used in the film and it was deleted from the disc as well. Madan Mohan was
one of Lata’s favourite composers, and after an initial misunderstanding, he asked her to tie a rakhi on him. After that, he
was always Madan-bhaiyya to her, while Madan Mohan called her beta.

Lata & JaidevCourtesy: rediff.com

8. Allah tero naam Hum Dono (1961)Music: JaidevLyrics: Sahir LudhianviI don’t usually
like bhajans, I don’t usually like Nanda, and the combination should have put
me off completely. Yet this is a song that quietly crept into my favourites and
stayed there.

Wives praying for their husbands’ safety, and at the same time
appealing for peace, it was shot beautifully by Vijay Anand. Composed by
Jaidev (so under-rated a composer), Allah tero naam just flowed with the story.
Lata rendered it so beautifully, I can understand how a bhajan can be a
spiritual experience. And honest confession? Nanda’s reaction to the song, the
sweetness of her expression, just added to its overall attraction.

Jaidev assisted
both Ali Akbar Khan (Aandhiyan, Hum Safar) and SD Burman. Hum
Dono was his
first break as composer, and he delivered a wonderful score. Lata was
not on good terms with Jaidev at the time, and had refused to sign Hum Dono until coaxed by the Anand brothers.

Aah.
Now this is
one song that I cannot bear to watch. Beautiful, beautiful melody,
lovely
lyrics but murdered onscreen by Nimmi making faces. (I truly wish she
wouldn’t;
she was quite pretty.) She had a total of 2½ expressions. Like Leela
Chitnis being bedridden/dying in film after film, Nimmi seemed to be
stuck with playing morosely martyred/ slightly mental characters. But I
love the song so much, I will listen to it with my
eyes closed.

A few years later, Burmanda
and Lata Mangeshkar had a disagreement that led to a five-year rift
between the two. That rift was a boon to Asha Bhosle, who, along with
Geeta Dutt sang most of SD's compositions during the period. The warring
pair reunited for Bandini (1963).

Recording a
song brings back so many memories of happier times. What is one to do when on
the one hand, the memories of a lost love burn inside, and on the other, the
moon fans the flames? Ik to balam teri yaad jalaaye, Dooje chanda aag lagaaye,
Aag lagaaye teri preet jagaaye re neend na aaye, Saari saari raat teri yaad
sataye...

Roshan preferred
using Indian musical instruments and was proficient on the dilruba himself. The
song, though composed by Roshan, was recorded by Naushad. Roshan was recording
the song at Mehboob studios when Naushad arrived. Holding his colleague in high
esteem, Roshan requested him to record the song for him; Naushad complied,
instructing Lata and the musicians without changing a single note of Roshan’s
composition.

(I don't know
what this says about me, but more than half the songs on my list are the
pathos-ridden songs that tell of love and longing and heartbreak.)

Back when Lata
first started her career, she was strongly influenced by reigning songstress
Noor Jehan. Not only that, many music directors also wanted her to sing that
way, considering her voice too thin (patli) for a heroine. In fact, Shashadhar
Mukherjee even rejected her citing her voice as unfit for Kamini Kaushal, who was the heroine in Shaheed. Master Ghulam Haidersaab was irritated; taking the young
girl with him, he stomped off, promising her that she would sing for Majboor, a
film he was doing for Bombay Talkies. While they
waited for the train, he tapped a tune on his cigarette case, and asked her to
sing Dil mera toda mujhe kahin ka na chhoda after him; pleased
with her rendition, they recorded the song after a two-day rehearsal. It
turned out to be the first ‘hit’ song of Lata’s career. There is an
edge of rawness to her craft still, but one could see the talent and the
skill
that was waiting to be honed.

Lata considers
Ghulam Haider saab her mentor. He is the person who taught her to pay attention
to the lyrics, to enunciate them clearly, and to consider the actress who would
be enacting the song on screen.

Lata & Khaiyyam

Courtesy: rediff.com

12. Baharon mera jeevan sanwaaro Aakhri Khat (1966)Music: KhaiyyamLyrics: Kaifi AzmiLata’s voice in
this song is deeper than usual, especially in the lower notes. A hill maiden,
her emotions wakening with the advent of spring, awaits someone who will be
hers, who will love her, marry her. The hope in the song tugs at your heartstrings,
its sweetness intensified by the pure emotion in Lata’s voice. Who hasn’t
longed for love?

Lata sang very
few songs for Khaiyyam, but the ones that she did were incomparable. Khaiyyam
first met Lata when she was recording for Ghulam Haidersaab for Majboor.
He was fascinated by the new singer. According to Khayyam, Lata’s greatest
merit was in understanding the need of each individual music director, and
moulding her voice according to the character on screen. (She learnt her lessons
well.)

Lata & Sajjad HusseinCourtesy: rediff.com

13. Ae dilruba Rustom Sohrab (1963) Music: Sajjad HusseinLyrics: Jaan Nisaar AkhtarAh, sweetness.
The song is mostly in the higher octaves, but yet there is a softness to the
notes. A lilting tune with subtle middle eastern undertones. Her control
over the notes is astonishing.

It
was Lata
Mangeshkar’s guru Amanat Ali Khan Devaswale who introduced her to Sajjad
Hussein. Lata has said in
interviews that she was always apprehensive when she sang for the
notoriously hard-to-please music director. Sajad Hussein's compositions
were complex, and he was very
particular about the notes, and the instruments being tuned perfectly.

Her first song for the taskmaster was Aaj mere naseeb nein Hulchul, but
according to Sajjad, it was deleted
from the film. (Lata chose this as her favourite from the songs she sang
for Sajjad.) He composed three songs for the film, but didn’t complete Hulchul because the producers didn't pay him. (The score was completed by Mohammed Shafi.) Like Madhubala, Sajjad
eventually had it written into his contract that he would only compose if Lata
sang.

One
sighs for
the days that were, when music filled the air. Today, without music, the
strings of her veena are silenced as well. The frustration of a
neglected wife
(the complete cluelessness of her hardworking husband having brought
them to
this pass), finally breaking out in song. Her dreams have withered; as
she
sings, the pathos in her voice breaks her husband’s heart. Is it too
late for
them? Lata moves from the low notes to the high ones, staying there
awhile before falling back with hardly a pause to caress the low notes
once again.

Pandit Ravi Shankar had already composed music for films like Dharti ke Lal, Neecha Nagar, and Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy. Before he came on board as music director, the film had been offered to Ustad Bade Ghulam AliKhan. This was Ravi Shankar's first 'commercial' score.

Lata & Anil Biswas

15. Beimaan tore nainwa Tarana (1951)Music: Anil BiswasLyrics: DN MadhokWho would have
thought that a hero twirling the heroine’s curls, or she running her hand
through his hair as she sings him to sleep could be so sensuous? Fingers clasp and
unclasp, trail over faces and wind themselves in tresses; smiles flash
as he plays with her bangle... there is laughter, there is love, there is a
mild flirtation. Above all, there is an innocent sensuality that is in keeping
with the character of a village girl who finds herself swept off her feet by
the sophisticated city doctor.

This is a very sensuous romantic number, and the
first time Madhubala and Dilip Kumar starred together. It is said they fell in
love during the making of this film; whether that be true or not, they
definitely set the screen on fire. Their chemistry was unbelievable, and lent a
certain charm to a straightforward love song. Anil Biswas’
music played languorously in the background, complementing the softness of
Lata’s voice.

He
was one of the earliest composers that Lata worked with. He
was a sociable soul and singers, including Lata, and musicians seem to
have
spent an inordinate amount of time in his house. Lata credits him with
teaching
her how to breathe while singing; how to inhale and exhale between words
so
that it wouldn't interrupt the song. He also taught her how to modulate
her voice, and how to ensure clarity before the microphone.

Lata soars
effortlessly in this Na`at (poetry that specifically praises the Prophet), her
voice rising fluidly as Anarkali, chained and thrown into the
dungeon for her audacity in falling in love with the prince, appeals to a
higher power. Naushad was all praise for Lata’s range as she effortlessly
scaled an octave and a half.

The first song
that Lata recorded for the maestro was a duet Haaye chore ki jaat badi bewafawith GM Durrani for a film called Chandni Raat. In his own way,
Naushad was as
hard a taskmaster as Sajjad. Lata confessed that when they finished
recording, Naushad would say, “Excellent, Lata. Very good. Once more.”

These are not
necessarily her ‘best’ songs, but they will definitely rank among some of the
best songs from the period. It is only when I finished listing the songs that I
realised that, with the exception of Shankar-Jaikishen who appear twice, every
song is by a different music-director. Considering the wide difference in their
styles – Sajjad Hussein and Shankar-Jaikishen being on the opposite sides of
the spectrum, for instance – it speaks to Lata Mangeshkar’s capabilities that
she could adapt so beautifully to each one.

I have
restricted myself to her solos here, leaving the duets for another post. For
someone whose voice has given me years of pleasure,
whose songs from her golden period still echo my feelings better than I can ever express them - Many happy returns of the day, Lataji.*Acknowledgements:

Lata Mangeshkar... In her own voice. Conversations with Nasreen Munni Kabir

When I started reading the post, after every song I said "but this is better...", "why not this...?, "did she forget this..." and so on. Finally, I came to my senses and stopped trying to improve your list and just enjoyed your brilliant and detailed write up and the lovely songs. No matter which song we choose to list, its all perfect with Lata in her prime.

And yes, finally two songs of Lata ji(first is the favourite of my grandmother and second of my father)

Great post, but ... but ... why so many songs of heartbreak and separation and melancholy? Here are some of my favorites, and they are brimming with life and joy:1. Kaanton se kheench ke yeh aanchalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zgvw2GhRs8

5. Aap ki nazaron ne samjhahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKCQZvfOxqA&feature=related (even though I don't care for the lyrics - she is thanking him for loving her - ugh!) - yes, I know this is not particularly happy, but it was my mother's favorite song!

Writing, or for that matter attempt to put any organised portrayal, about any one of the player of the Golden Era of Hindi Film Music must always be an exercise fraught with frustration - of feeling of failure to do justice to the subject or to one's own views or feelings - because every micro-aspect of their contribution has innumerable shades of monochrome.Therefore, to say that Anuji has been able to do a wonderful job –balanced, restrained, emotional but un-biased, interesting – still would not possibly what one may have to say, as much as she must be feeling after having posted this article!Even if we keep aside the conduct of her professional career aside – one will find a litany of tales of her very strong differences with one or other persona of the Film Industry of her times – her singing itself has merited an extreme range of views – from sheer devotion to outright cursory performances.But to carry on the torch for so long, under all kinds of circumstances, in itself is a no mean task. The kind of responsibility that puts, at every step, on the conduct of the person can be spine-breaking or morale – sapping. Lataji, when all is said and done, has been 1quite exemplary in this role – any occasional weak moment can be attributed to the natural human nature’s weakness. How so ever perfect one keeps on trying, there are bound to a few moments when the person does become what one’s natural self, particularly when the span of attention is wide and diverse.A few generations down the history, someone may wonder was such a voice really existed or it was creation by a herculean effort by machine!

Why am I not surprised any more that songs you feature in a post are more often than not the ones I'd have selected too? Ajeeb daastaan hai yeh, Lag jaa gale, Aayega aanewaala and Yeh shaam ki tanhaaiyaan were in my 'Lata in Ten Moods' post, two years ago. :-) You've included some more that I really love - especially O sajna barkha bahaar aayi and Haai re woh din kyon na aaye. Lovely post, Anu. Thank you for that. And a very special thank you for the anecdotes here and there - loved those!

(Incidentally, there are some interesting overlaps between this post and one that I'm planning to publish in two weeks' time!)

Nra, *grin*. This was Lata at her peak, remember? I bet everyone who reads this will disagree with my choices at least some of the time. Thank you for still liking my post despite your qualms about my choices. :)

I listed the song from Hulchul under my choice for Sajjad Hussein. The second, the Bengali song is new to me - I wonder if it has an equivalent in any other language. Thank you for that.

I don't know why myself. :) It's just that the songs I listed have always been my favourites. I didn't even realise it when I was listing them - it's when I began writing them up that I realised I was full of woe. I love, love, love the first three you listed, especially Dheer dheere machal.

I hate (well, that is too strong a word, but still) the other two - Tera mera pyar amar because the tune just stretches each word like chewing gum; the last because of the sheer doormat-ishness of the lyrics. It ranks with Tuhi meri mandir from Khandaan for me - just begging the chap to come and wipe his feet on them! Ugh!

Even 100 songs of Lata would be a fraction of her songs which have given us eternal pleasure over the years. Your list includes some of my great favorites. Especially the stories behind some songs such as Naushad recording Sari sari raton teri yaad sataye or Roshan helping his mentor CR at a crucial point in Ye zindagi usi ki hai are very interesting.

At a personal level, among her recognized great song, there is one which somehow does not appeal to me much - Allah hero naam.

He used this tune in a film called Jeevan Jyoti. I prefer the simpler guitar chord settings in the original Bengali. The Hindi version was sung by Ashahttp://www.sangeethouse.com/jukebox.php?songid=40101

There is a rather decent song by Lata in the same filmhttp://www.sangeethouse.com/jukebox.php?songid=40097

On Sajjad , I like these two songs that aren't played that often. The first one from Khel is a typical Sajjad song, the rhythm is deceptively simple and linear, but the orchestration and the melody are superb. There is a lovely orchestral accompaniment through the antara (you need headphones to make it out). The end climbs away from the original melody in the mukhdahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkxarYFTjfo&feature=related

The second ..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJX9xTOJIjI&feature=related

I have been trying to find a good recording of this song. I found the musical accompaniment lovely but all the recordings I have heard do not have a good technical quality, they are just too muddy. See how she takes the line "ab ro ro saawan jaaye" effortlessly just that little drop .. beautiful..

Not again! why do I always end up listing/recommending/mentioning the song you have already discussed in your post? Guess, great minds think alike :). I just LOVE(Raj Kapoor kind in your case) the second song. As SSW mentioned(thanks to him), the same(almost) tune was used in Jeevan Jyoti. However, the guitar piece in the prelude of the original(Salil-Lata Pujo album) is just amazing. Unlike the hindi version, the original is a sad song but the rhythm and the chord progression makes it optimistic and hopeful instead of depressing and melancholic.

Everyone in my family has a favorite Lata`s bangla song(usually from her durga pujo album with salilda). This is mine and the music director is Kishore Kumar.

Writing, or for that matter attempt to put any organised portrayal, about any one of the player of the Golden Era of Hindi Film Music must always be an exercise fraught with frustration - of feeling of failure to do justice to the subject or to one's own views or feelings - because every micro-aspect of their contribution has innumerable shades of monochrome.Therefore, to say that Anuji has been able to do a wonderful job –balanced, restrained, emotional but un-biased, interesting – still would not possibly what one may have to say, as much as she must be feeling after having posted this article!Even if we keep aside the conduct of her professional career aside – one will find a litany of tales of her very strong differences with one or other persona of the Film Industry of her times – her singing itself has merited an extreme range of views – from sheer devotion to outright cursory performances.But to carry on the torch for so long, under all kinds of circumstances, in itself is a no mean task. The kind of responsibility that puts, at every step, on the conduct of the person can be spine-breaking or morale – sapping. Lataji, when all is said and done, has been 1quite exemplary in this role – any occasional weak moment can be attributed to the natural human nature’s weakness. How so ever perfect one keeps on trying, there are bound to a few moments when the person does become what one’s natural self, particularly when the span of attention is wide and diverse.A few generations down the history, someone may wonder was such a voice really existed or it was creation by a herculean effort by machine!P.S.- Some thing funny had happened to my first attempt for this comment. It appeared when I posted, and is lost thereafter. This has happened three times previously , too.

Writing, or for that matter attempt to put any organised portrayal, about any one of the player of the Golden Era of Hindi Film Music must always be an exercise fraught with frustration - of feeling of failure to do justice to the subject or to one's own views or feelings - because every micro-aspect of their contribution has innumerable shades of monochrome.

Therefore, to say that Anuji has been able to do a wonderful job –balanced, restrained, emotional but un-biased, interesting – still would not possibly what one may have to say, as much as she must be feeling after having posted this article!

Even if we keep aside the conduct of her professional career aside – one will find a litany of tales of her very strong differences with one or other persona of the Film Industry of her times – her singing itself has merited an extreme range of views – from sheer devotion to outright cursory performances.

But to carry on the torch for so long, under all kinds of circumstances, in itself is a no mean task. The kind of responsibility that puts, at every step, on the conduct of the person can be spine-breaking or morale – sapping. Lataji, when all is said and done, has been quite exemplary in this role – any occasional weak moment can be attributed to the natural human nature’s weakness. How so ever perfect one keeps on trying, there are bound to a few moments when the person does become what one’s natural self, particularly when the span of attention is wide and diverse.

A few generations down the history, someone may wonder was such a voice really existed or it was creation by a herculean effort by machine!"

Writing, or for that matter attempt to put any organised portrayal, about any one of the player of the Golden Era of Hindi Film Music must always be an exercise fraught with frustration - of feeling of failure to do justice to the subject or to one's own views or feelings - because every micro-aspect of their contribution has innumerable shades of monochrome.

Therefore, to say that Anuji has been able to do a wonderful job –balanced, restrained, emotional but un-biased, interesting – still would not possibly what one may have to say, as much as she must be feeling after having posted this article!

Even if we keep aside the conduct of her professional career aside – one will find a litany of tales of her very strong differences with one or other persona of the Film Industry of her times – her singing itself has merited an extreme range of views – from sheer devotion to outright cursory performances.

But to carry on the torch for so long, under all kinds of circumstances, in itself is a no mean task. The kind of responsibility that puts, at every step, on the conduct of the person can be spine-breaking or morale – sapping. Lataji, when all is said and done, has been 1quite exemplary in this role – any occasional weak moment can be attributed to the natural human nature’s weakness. How so ever perfect one keeps on trying, there are bound to a few moments when the person does become what one’s natural self, particularly when the span of attention is wide and diverse.

A few generations down the history, someone may wonder was such a voice really existed or it was creation by a herculean effort by machine!"

First, I am wondering how did I beat Harvey to comment earlier :)Next, this is an excellent post; and I like almost all songs presented by you & by others. I had not heard a couple, the one with Ghulam Haider for instance, although I had read about him introducing LM.If you ever want to organize a Lata song session, I will bring a few bottles of Sauternes; it pairs well her :)

SoY, for some reason, your comment had disappeared into the blackhole of Disqus. I just found it today, when Ashokji mentioned that his comments were disappearing as soon as he could write them. Hopefully, it is now taken care of.

Thank you for your comment, and for the compliment. I agree that 100 songs out of her brilliant career is not enough to list the superlative numbers with which she has treated us over the years.

Thank you for your kind words, Ashokji. And I agree with you about Lataji's career, and her brilliance in her prime. As for the rest, yes, she is only human, and therefore allowed all its frailties.

(I also solved the mystery of your disappearing comments. Even the cut-and-paste I did earlier disappeared. While Blogger lists your comment thrice, Disqus, for some reason known only to itself, decided they were spam. It is when I logged on to Disqus to find out what was happening that I discovered them. Approving them took just a minute, and so, finally, here it is. Now I have to see what to do about Samir's comment, which is not showing up on Disqus at all! It is languishing in Blogger's comments, and I have no way of publishing it.)

First, I am wondering how did I beat Harvey to comment earlier :)Next, this is an excellent post; and I like almost all songs presented by you & by others. I had not heard a couple, the one with Ghulam Haider for instance, although I had read about him introducing LM.If you ever want to organize a Lata song session, I will bring a few bottles of Sauternes; it pairs well her :)

"Kambakth kabhi besuri nahin hoti"How true! And she still hasn't lost the sweetnes of her voice!

Aayega aanewala is indeed a memorable song! But it just doesn't do much to me.

For me o sajna barkha bahaar aayi is the quintessential Lata song! So simple so beautiful!

O beqaraar dil was one of my sis's fav song, to which she used to listen very often. This forced listening has let its stock fall down with me.

The overexposure has done the same to yeh zindagi usi ki hai.

But the over-exposure to ajeeb dastan hai yeh has just made me discover more and new aspects to it everytime. Lovely song! The way Lata measures every word make sthis a jewel.

IMHO Lata is at her best in sad songs, better still in the masochistic songs of Madan Mohan. Thus yeh shamm ki tanhaiyan is very close to my heart!

Lag ja gale is by MM and not masochistic but the mysterious halo pervading this song gives it a certain sex-appeal!

Allah tero naam is also one of my fav bhajans! Loved your confession!

Don't you think that tum na jaane kis jahan me kho gaye has a certain Geeta Dutt-like quality (like that of mera sundar sapna) to it? I would have loved to hear this song in Geeta's voice, though Lata is superb in it!

Saari saari raat teri is great. But when I think of Roshan and Lata, the first song that comes to my mind is mujhe mil gaya bahana tere deed ka. I know that there are other better songs, but...

dil mera toda is dil mera toda! :-)

baharon mera jeewan bhi is like an Asha song for me sung by Lata. But that is true for nearly all Khaiyyam compositions!

ae dilruba is so unlike Lata, isn't it? BTW I don't beliebe that rumour about madhubala's contract stipulating that only Lata sing for her. Asha sang for her till her last film.

Nobody could express longing like Lata and she displays this in an amazing manner in haay re woh din kyun na aaye.

beimaan tore nainwa is one of the few Anil Biswas compositions which I really like. In my opinion he gave the better sogns to his wife! ;-)

mohe bhool gaye sanwariya is the Naushad-Lata song which comes first to my mind.I personally would have preferred a heavier voice for beqas pe karam ki jiye. Lata's voice sounds for me too pure, too clear for a torture victim.

I like that when you do show up, Harvey, I can be assured of a nice, detailed comment from you.

I love the alaap of Aayega aanewala; sometimes I think I like Aaja re pardesi more, but often times, I'm just in sheer awe of the clarity of her voice.

It is funny, no, that you should dislike Ye zindagi usi ki hai because it is overexposed, yet like Ajeeb dastan hai ye despite it? Just goes to show there is really no rhyme or reason why we like songs sometimes! I'm like that too. :) I can never get tired of Ye zindagi usi ki hai - especially the sad version.

With Ae dilruba you are 'hearing' Sajjad, not Lata (that is true, I think of all his compositions; they are quite unique).

As for Madhubala, she did stipulate that only Lata should sing for her; I think the films where Asha lent her her voice were the ones which OP Nayyar composed music for; or during the times when Lata was having one of her rifts with one or the other of the other composers.

Laughing at Anil Biswas giving the better songs to his wife. :) At least, ghar ki murgi was not dal barabar, no?

The Naushad-Lata combination had some absolutely wonderful songs; Mohe bhool gaye saanwariya, though I like it, would not come into my first ten from their collaboration.

"I think the films where Asha lent her her voice were the ones which OP Nayyar composed music for; or during the times when Lata was having one of her rifts with one or the other of the other composers."

That didn't leave much choice then, did it? In those days or even later, composers went to Asha, if Lata didn't sing for them. So madhubala could have stipulated as much she wanted, at the end, the MD decided who sang. That was the case for any other heroine as well. MDs had their songs for the heroines mostly sung by Lata, if not, then by Asha.In fact I remember Asha saying in an interview that after she had left her husbands's house, Madhubala helped her a lot and also asked for her voice for her songs.

Oh wow, Anu! I don't envy you having to distill a phenomen like Lata down to 16 melodies! Or maybe I do...I can imagine the immense joy of listening to her songs while coming up with the list.

As for the songs listed, I confess there are a few that I personally dislike (beqas pe karam, lag ja gale, allah tero naam, saari saari raat, aayega aanewala) but appreciate the variety and range they represent. Some of my own favorites from MDs you haven't already mentioned include:

I think you and Harvey are both right. :-) I believe after Mahal, Madhubala did specify Lata in her contracts but dropped it post Howrah Bridge. Madhubala's 1955 home production "Naata" is almost an all-Lata show, but her 1960 production "Mehlon Ke Khwab" is an all-Asha affair. Actors are a supersitious lot, I think, and inclined to stick with/repeat what has worked for them previously.:-)

I forgot to say, much as I love him, I don't for a minute believe Roshan had any hand in composing "yeh zindagi usiki hai." AFAIK, the only ones to make that claim are Lata and Hridaynath. And as musically talented as they are, the Mangeshkars are also opportunistic liars!

Shalini, I agree with both the points you made - it was very, very hard to whittle Lata's body of work to 16 songs; *and* it was an enjoyable, albeit impossible, task. :)

Any particular reason for disliking the songs you listed, or is it a case of having heard them too often? Or no particular rhyme or reason (the same case for my liking certain songs) other than they don't appeal to you? (Just curious. :))

All the three songs you listed as your favourites are new to me: Of them, I particularly loved Ja ja re chanda ja re and Haye re meri zulfein. Thanks for the links. I love being introduced to 'new' old songs. I also realise (woefully) how many songs I still haven't even heard from that period!

Harsh words, but I haven't heard it said anywhere else, except in Lata's Conversations..., and there is no other concrete proof anyway. Let's leave it as a 'You may or may not want to believe...' :) Either could be right.

Anu, you are brave indeed to embark upon such a difficult task. I was thinking of mentioning here in my comments some beautiful songs that have always enthralled me but I did not dare to attempt even that. One would be nagged by the feeling of leaving out many gems from the list. I would just commend your attempt. You have covered some immortal songs in your post.

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